Students in seven Yukon schools will now receive hot lunches through a new pilot project led by the territorial government and supported by funding from Ottawa. However, this initiative excludes three-quarters of Yukon schools, raising uncertainty about when or if those schools will also be included in the program.
Courtney Wheelton, the director of First Nations initiatives at the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate, highlighted that previous programs funded under Jordan’s Principle provided meals for Indigenous students in both Whitehorse and rural communities. The new pilot project, set to run until March 2027 with a budget of approximately $7.3 million, will provide lunches for all students at seven selected schools.
The schools included in the pilot were chosen based on necessity and their ability to offer hot lunches, which not all schools in the territory can accommodate. Wheelton acknowledged that the federal funding falls short of covering lunches for all Yukon students but sees it as a positive starting point for potential expansion in the future.
Shanna Epp, an assistant deputy minister with the Yukon education department, expressed hope that the pilot project will pave the way for broader implementation by collecting data on participation rates and identifying barriers and opportunities for growth. The initiative aims to address the impact of recent federal changes to Jordan’s Principle funding, which has disrupted educational services in Yukon and other northern regions.
Despite the challenges, Ottawa has indicated that the National School Food Program, which is supporting the pilot project, is intended to be a permanent fixture. This development comes as a response to evolving needs and aims to ensure continued support for student nutrition in the Yukon.
